


Land Things With Wings

by VoidLeviathan



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Wings, And I wanna be careful with that qvq, Angst, Betrayal, Billie and Thomas are mentioned just for now, Burns, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, In a way I mean he did chop his wings off so-, Its only mature bc I'm like...its going to get a little more violent, Magical Tattoos, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other characters will get their own chapters don't worry, Regret, Relationship Tag to be Changed, Self-Harm, Wing removal, Wingfic, Wings, hhhhhhh idk what else to put
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-03-30 03:52:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19034227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan
Summary: A small collection of fics based around a universe in which people with wings are born on rare occasion and thus considered magic and scorned for such a trait.Starting with Daud and Martin.





	1. Burning Knife

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Sirens" by Hop Along, Queen Ansleis.

It was no secret that the existence of beings with wings was a thing within the isles. The first known appearance of such a fascinating genetic discovery was four thousand years ago. A boy whose name had long since been forgotten was cast out of his home by his very own father due to the stark black wings that hung from his back.

He went missing during the month of Darkness and no one had seen a winged being since. 

They started to pop up again around the time more people began to worship the Outsider himself, and of course as they did with anything that may mean magic, the Overseers quickly took it upon themselves to gather up these 'heretics' and burn their wings from their bodies. No one with wings was safe since the new law passed that they were possibly dangerous and anyone with them was immediately arrested on sight.

The winged beings then picked up a special kind of magic. One that would hide their differences and let them live life freely. The wings formed great tattoos upon backs and shoulders, only truly showing when needed most. Due to this disguise society slowly forgot about the winged beings and assumed they simply died out. There were very rare occasions where one would ever pop up, but no one ever truly worried about it.

Not until the Knife of Dunwall.

With the great wings of a melanistic barn owl upon his back and the mark of the forbidden god, Daud was swift with his targets. Silent and deadly as he did his job and made his way out of the area before anyone could see him there. He struck fear into the noblest of people and the bounty over his own head quickly went up with each attack he successfully completed.

Everyone feared him and would soon learn to fear more when one foolish Overseer group managed to get a hold of the man. Teague Martin was the leader of this small band of people and with the music blasting in the area, Daud was quick to tell his assassins to disperse and not return until he deemed it safe or got back.    
  
Daud was caught with wings forcibly exposed by the music of the Overseers and with the blink of an eye he was locked away in Coldridge Prison. They kept the music playing constantly as way to avoid his escape. Daud was an observer though and even in a time of great pain he kept close eye on those who came about to taunt and prod at him. Days turned to nights that turned to weeks as he listened while they tore away at him with whatever insult they could. Things ranging from his use of magic to just who he was, but Daud refused to break.    
  
The knife remembered every single face that came up to his cell only to treat him wrongly. He remembered every name he was told, every voice of a masked Overseer preparing to cause him trouble in more than one way. Most importantly, he studied the way Teague Martin himself moved around the outside of his cell. 

The man refused to come anywhere near the range of the music that played yet kept his gaze strong and stern on Daud when he looked him over. Martin never taunted, but a gaze says more than words ever could, and Daud knew how the man felt about him. Daud just didn’t understand why he wouldn’t come closer and say it. He’d heard more than a few stories of Overseer Martin and knew well enough the man wasn’t one to keep his mouth closed when he had a chance to talk as much as he wanted. So why be so quiet with his chance now? 

The realization dawned on him on the night they were to burn his own wings away. Four or five guards held Daud in shackles as one Overseer blasted that painful music in order to keep him sedated. Another Overseer, one clearly used to this particular job, took a burning torch in hand and Daud screamed in pain as his wings withered away. Eaten by the flame itself. Martin watched from a distance, face stern and emotionless while the assassin yelled. 

Then his wings started moving. Everyone started to panic. "Why is he doing that?" Hissed one of the guard. "He's struggling to much, make him stop!"

Daud thrashed and yanked. He pulled hard at the chain on his arms, wings heavily flapping up dust and air and throwing back anyone who tried to step near him. The music box was knocked out of hand, music continuing to play while Daud tore away in a frantic hurry. He meant to run, but hesitated instead at the sight before him.

Martin with his hands over his ears trembling with a glare at Daud as if he was in...pain? 

It made sense now. Everything about how he acted with Daud made sense. Daud wanted to fight, to tear this man to shreds and yell. He only watched for a minute longer before making his choice and running to the nearest exit. 

Daud escaped, learned, and lost so much in just that night alone.

Because the knife never chose to tell his assassins of his wings, he keeps them hidden. Refuses to show weakness when he gets back for their sake. Billie and Thomas do what they can to treat the visible injuries and he thanks them for it with secrets to spread in return.  
  
"Overseer Martin has betrayed the winged." Daud whispers. "By removing his own in order to become one of them."   



	2. Betrayal and Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teague to no one's surprise hurt quite a few people in his younger years just trying to make a living. He was a criminal, stealing from some and beating others in order to get what he wanted. Many feared him and the fear grew whenever the use of his wings was involved. 
> 
> No one survived if he managed to lift them high enough off the ground.

Teague Martin was a very closed off and quiet Overseer compared to his fellow companions within the Abbey of the Everyman. He didn’t see need in being as loud and open as others tended to be and found that few words worked wonders compared to the many that others yelled. This of course was one of the many reasons people often distrusted him, but not one of the worst reasons in comparison to others.    
  
For example: Teague was one of the rare circumstances of a person that was born with wings. His own wings were that of a Cormorant, black feathers with a slight sheen of silver and blue upon them. He took pride in his wings even if it meant he had to hide them from the world with special magic in order to live. He was quite restless and violent in his younger years. A reckless boy who thought he had nothing to lose.  _ Thought _ being a keyword in this story.   
  
See a boy, or very young man perhaps in this case, in a world like that of the Isles isn’t always the luckiest person in the world. The Isles were a bitter place to be and many had to fight to survive for more than one reason alone. Teague to no one's surprise hurt quite a few people in his younger years just trying to make a living. He was a criminal, stealing from some and beating others in order to get what he wanted. Many feared him and the fear grew whenever the use of his wings was involved. No one survived if he managed to lift them high enough off the ground.   
  
This was a technique he was known for quickly by the enemy when he fought in the military. None of his companions knew of course, he had to keep it a secret so they wouldn’t kill him off for the use of assumed magic, but what problem was it to him if a man who was about to die at his hands knew about the ability of flight he possessed?    
  
Teague quickly rose in popularity within his military group. Everyone praised him for his quick thinking and strategic planning. He let this popularity get to his head and before he knew it, when he got back he was quickly snatched away by one very quiet group of Overseers and awoke in a cell within Coldridge Prison. Here he had first assumed they’d found him out and had finally caught him in order to burn his wings away. This wasn’t the case however, as he looked around and realized there were more men and boys here than just himself.    
  
His conclusion was that he’d been chosen and brought here by the Overseers themselves for The Trials of Aptitude. Whatever sick twisted fate this was, Teague didn’t like the feel of it. Something was wrong and he wasn’t ready to be part of it. This couldn’t be happening. He strived to be free, to live and fight for what he himself cared about. Now here he was being forced into some trials that could very easily have him found out and even worse, killed. His wings itched to show themselves with tattoos burning to let them break free. Now wasn’t the time for his flight senses to kick in, so Teague did what he could to calm himself and wait the situation out.    
  
The trials weren't half bad when they started them. Teague was at the top of the group and did what he could to keep a steady head as he reached the end of each trial. He  _ refused  _ to die at the hands of the Overseers and the thought of possibly becoming one started to grow on him. With his knowledge of fighting that he gained years prior when surviving for so long on instinct alone, it wasn’t hard to get past most situations they placed he and the others in. Things don’t always work out in one’s favor though and the last of the trials was the toughest for them all.    
  
Before Teague could really think to stop himself, he started to work off instinct alone and shoved past everyone using his wings. The very things he tried to avoid using and hide so he wasn’t killed on sight.    
  
The Overseers noticed. Of course they noticed. While this man came out one of the best chosen during the trials, their hatred to magic overcame their admiration for his dedication and a gun was soon held to his head. Teague was a fighter though, a survivor, and he would do anything to live. Even if one of these things would make him regret for the rest of his miserable life.    
  
“Do you have anything to say for yourself before you’re exiled?” Asks the High Overseer himself.    
  
“I can tell you the secrets of the winged!” Teague replies frantically. Words leaving his mouth without even really registering what he was saying. “I can tell you how we do it, hide our wings. I can give you a list of many others like myself and I can prove to you that I’d be very valuable to the Overseers. I will show my dedication just as any other through the only sacrifice I can think necessary for this situation. If you let me live I will remove my wings and swear on the scriptures themselves that I will be loyal to the Abbey alone.”   
  
The sacrifice of his wings was a large price to pay for his life, but living was more important than flying. If removing his wings meant he could live then so be it. One of the Overseer’s handed him a sword and the rest of them watched him expectantly behind masks of gold. Teague lost a lot that day.    
  
His wings, his dignity, and whatever he had left of his life before the Trials of Aptitude.    
  
Years since the loss of his wings, Teague did all he promised and helped the Abbey hunt down every winged being that came up around the Isles. It wasn’t anything different from what he’d done originally with his life, but something always nagged at the back of his head that perhaps what they were doing to these people wasn’t right.    
  
The burning of Daud’s wings was what broke him and what led Teague to join the Loyalist Conspiracy a few years later. The hatred that burned in that man’s eyes as he flead Coldridge once freeing himself left an impression on the Overseer. Maybe betraying those who couldn’t help being born different wasn’t right and maybe helping Corvo would redeem him for all he’d done wrong.   
  
But nothing could change what he’d done. Not even helping save the empress and return her to the throne. Martin had betrayed those he was once like and that mistake would haunt him till the day he died. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me at 2:52 am: I got so caught up in Daud angst I neglected to even mention Martin oml  
> Martin chopped his own wings off to prove he was dedicated to the Overseers and thats how he became an Overseer.
> 
> Calling him Teague the whole time was a mistake. I've learned that lesson the hard way.  
> Honestly I had this entire chunk written out that was an argument/fight between he and Daud that would have happened during his time in the Hound Pits, but I figured it would have been out of place and felt like it needed its own chapter some other time down the road, or maybe its own fic. 
> 
> Daud, once having his wings burned to a fuckin' crisp, went to the Whalers and was like 'Hey yall spread the word that Martin is a traitor to the winged!' and thus they did, which is why more people don't trust him. Added on to this, Martin is effected by Overseer music because while hes missing most of his wing, hes still got the shoulder parts and thus still hides them via tattoo, which is magic, and so the music hurts him.
> 
> Its complicated as hell idk man.  
> If you have any other questions feel free to comment or shoot me an ask on Void-Leviathan on tumblr!

**Author's Note:**

> So basic rundown of the fic: People have the rare ability to be born with wings. Its not a act of magic, its just something that happens. The Overseer's assume it has to do with the Outsider, this they burn the wings off these people and send them to the mines to work as punishment. Thats assuming if they live through the wings being burned off ofc. 
> 
> No Whaler knows Daud has wings.  
> The Outsider only truly takes interest in people WITH wings. Its rare he finds any interest in those without them.  
> Wings are forced to be seen by the Oversser Music because they use magic to hide them, thus the music cancels out the magic that makes them 'tattoos' 
> 
> *kicks leggy out* Any other questions can be asked in the comments OR on my tumblr, Void-Leviathan.  
> Thanks for reading qvq


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